Abram rowe



@geiten tates @nicht @frn ABRAM ROWE, 0F MAGOMB, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNR T() HIMSELF, LORENZO F. WHITMAN, AN D RESON A. BOWIE.

Letters Patent No. 61,362, dated January 22, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE WATER POWER.

TO ALL WHM vIT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ABRAM Rows, of Macomb, in the county of McDonough, and State of Illinois, have invented a Portable Hydraulic Motor; and I do 'hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisjspeciiication, and to the letters 0i' reference marked thereon. v

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section.

Figure 2, a top' plan view; and

Figure 3, a. front end view.

The nature of my invention consists in arranging within or in connection with a boat or platform, a waterwheel, to be operated by thc current of the stream, when the boat isstationary, for the purpose of driving machinery of any kind, and which, at the same time, is capable of being moved with the boat'from one locality, to another, at will, thus producing al portable hydraulic motor.

In order to apply my invention, I build a boat of any required size, but preferably of considerable width'. 'In the central rear portion of this boat, A, I place longitudinally a cylindrical case, E, which is open at both' ends, and within which is located a screw, B, as 'shown in iig. I.. This screwmayconsistof a series of propeller blades attached to a shaft, as there represented, or it may be formed of a continuous spiral blade, as may be found most efficient inpractice. Both the front and rear ends of the boat A are left open, andere provided with gates that may be closed whenever desired--a representing the gates at the front and b those at the rear.

The gates afat the front, occupy the entire width of the boat, and a partition, d, extends from the front outerv sidesY of the Iboat back to the front end or mouth of the case E, these partitions converging as they approach the case E, as shown in tig. 2. By these means atrumpet or open-mouthed chute is formed, to receive a large volume of water, and direct it on to the wheel. It willoi` course, be necessary to submerge the hull of the boat suciently to permit the water` to enter at the front end, as represented in iig. 1; and, to prevent it from sinking', the compartments G may be made water-tight'. If desired, or found necessary, these compartments may be divided into a series of smaller ones, and they beso arranged that water may be admitted to one or more of them, in order-to submerge it to the desired depth. Attached firmly to the end of the shaft of wheel B is a cog-wheel c, as shown in gs. land 3, by which 'motion may be imparted to any machinery that it is desired to operate. By these means I produce an apparatus that can be moved from placeto place, wherever desired, and itsmechanism be operated by the current of the stream; the boat, of' course, being anchored or otherwise rendered stationary when it isintended to operate the machinery. A deck or flooring, D, is provided fory locating the machinery upon, and for other purposes; and a. series of rods, e, are stretched across the mouth of? the chute C, to prevent logs or other trash from entering rand injuring the wheel.

The uses to which my invention may be applied are various. By placing on the boat a. saw-mill, it maybe towed up streams bordered 'with forests, and the timber along the banks be cut, hauled on board, and converted' into lumber, and then conveyed to market, or wherever needed for use, without unloading or rehandling. In like manner, by these'means, grain can be gathered along a. stream, and converted into flour, for market, or for the use of the inhabitants, by placing on boards. griet-mill, and operating it by the means above described. In a similar manner cotton grown in the vicinity of streams may be ginned and baled by suitable machinery 'placed'on board, and operated by the apparatus, and then conveyed to market on the same boat. It is specially adapted for use on .streams subject to great rise and fall, or excessive oods,vand where, for that'reason, it isl diicult or expensive to build and maintain dams-this apparatus adapting itself readily to any rise or fall of the stream.

I am aware that a wheel similar to mine has beforebeen used enclosed in a case and I am also Aaware that spiral wheels have been used in connection with two boats as a motive power, and these, therefore, I do not claim; but, having thus described my invention, what I claim, isp 1. A portable hydraulic motor for operating' machinery, consisting lof the propeller ,or screw-wheel enclosed in a case, E, and located in the central bottom portioncf a boat, A, as herein shown and described.

2. In combination with the' wheel E, 'arranged as shown, I claim the sluice C in the front end of the boat, having its sides converging, as represented.

p ABRAM ROWE. Witnesses:

M. Srnsnsn,

J. A. HUNGATE..

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